The Arizona Cardinals could afford to get younger now that we’ve seen several fresh faces in the desert enjoying a good preseason - even if the final result vs. the Kansas City Chiefs didn’t show it. But we have seen solid play from more than a few tight ends, while the Cards also have a decent rotation of offensive linemen at tackle and guard.
Because of this, they can afford to give up a couple of older players and one young underachiever in exchange for draft picks, or even potential-laden talent who may not earn a spot on another team’s 53-man roster thanks to lack of space. So who should the Cards consider trading away before the season begins? Here are three players.
3 players the Arizona Cardinals should trade
1 - Zach Ertz, TE
It’s not that the Zach Ertz experiment hasn’t worked out, given his solid numbers with the Arizona Cardinals. But he will turn 33 this season, and this is a young football team with plenty of young talent at the position.
Last season, we saw Trey McBride put up solid numbers during the second half of 2022, and so far in the preseason, Blake Whiteheart looked good. Noah Togiai made plays earlier in camp, and Geoff Swaim was also brought in to be a blocker.
Zach Ertz is no odd man out, considering his incredible skill, but his age doesn’t mesh with what the Cardinals are trying to do. There is still plenty of reason for him to be here in a red and white uniform, thanks to his productivity and leadership, but there are several players on this team who can still claim the latter role.
If the Cardinals trade Ertz, he still holds enough value for them to snag a pair of mid-to-late-rounders, perhaps even something as high as a third round pick if a team is in dire need of a tight end. Realistically, a fourth and a fifth could be what the team gets at this stage in his career.
2 - Kelvin Beachum, OT
The Cardinals have four quality tackles, including a pair of unquestioned starters in Paris Johnson Jr. and D.J. Humphries. Josh Jones can be a swing tackle, and so can Kelvin Beachum.
And while Jones is a player who would probably draw more phone calls than Beachum, it’s hard to see the Cardinals making a 26-year-old expendable. Especially since he can provide sound depth along with the fact his ceiling is as a part-time starter at this point.
Beachum may be 34 and a 12-year veteran, but he’s also someone with sound experience as a starter. Despite his age, he’s also more than capable of being a full-time starter this season, but with the Cards getting younger, it makes sense to insert him as a backup on this football team.
If Beachum still wants to be a starter, and there is no reason why he wouldn’t, then trade him away so he gets that opportunity. The Cards could squeeze out a mid-rounder for Beachum if he goes to a team in dire need of a tackle, especially a potential contender.
Update: The Cardinals have in fact traded Josh Jones to the Houston Texans, indicating Beachum will stay in the desert.
3 - Isaiah Simmons, S
Last season, I was a huge advocate for trading Isaiah Simmons at the deadline while he still had value, but that didn’t happen and he landed with the new coaching staff. That staff has since tried converting Simmons to safety, where he has been arguably the Arizona Cardinals worst starter slash priority role player across the first two weeks of preseason.
Fortunately for the Cardinals, Simmons’ overall athletic ability will pique someone’s interest, and it shouldn’t surprise anyone if they overcompensated for the underachieving former first round pick. This isn’t to say the Cards would get a first or even a second, but a pair of mid-rounders, even a third round pick, isn’t out of the question.
I’ve heard some say that the Redbirds should have experimented with Simmons at EDGE, and it was something I talked about last season. However, at this point, don’t expect Simmons to play EDGE for the Cardinals - he is a safety in this system and they will try to make him one. Unless they do the right thing and try to move him while he remotely still has value.
Update: One hour after the writing of this article, the Cards must have seen enough of Simmons, and traded him for a seventh round pick to the New York Giants. Needless to say, I was way off in that above projection!